We’re about 90% packed, which is a good thing with moving day looming around the corner (we’re packing the truck on Sunday and officially moving on Monday afternoon if all goes well and our closing doesn’t get bumped to Tuesday). Cross your fingers for us!
Here’s how we’re doing on our little to do list that we shared on Wednesday:
- remove every single item from the wall and patch/paint every nail hole in the house (this was actually about 500 times easier than I expected- just remove all the nails at once, spackle everything at once, and then paint room by room. It’s a lot faster than doing those three things in each room before moving onto the next one since you’d be opening and closing the spackle and cleaning the putty knife about a million times).
- transfer all of our utilities so they start over at the new place on move-in day
- pack the entire bathroom (except for travel sized shampoo & conditioner, our toothbrushes, and the shower curtain)
- pack all of our frames, mirrors, books, ceramic animals, and 80% of the breakables (still need to do our dishware – yikes!)
- rake the yard so the new owners don’t think they’re moving into a giant leaf pile
- oversee the completion of a few random inspection items (some flue work is being done by a pro)
- get our oil measured for closing (new buyers pay for the oil that’s left in the tank, isn’t that a nice fair way to do it?)
- wave goodbye to our tan slipcovered Pottery Barn sofa in the den (someone from craigslist is supposed to be picking it up)
- pack the rest of the kitchen along with about 10% of the other rooms that still need to be done
- clean the oven and the fridge (can’t really do this until right before we go)
- vacuum/sweep before locking the door with a tear in my eye
Not bad right? Just that last 10% of packing along with some cleaning is left and we’re on to the new place with a spring in our step (ok, maybe no spring if we’re carrying heavy boxes). After a long and stressful day yesterday – all the last minute closing details and papers are keeping us on our toes! – we went for a drive over to the new house and just gazed at it through the car windows. Even Clara and Burger looked. It definitely got us back into the excited state of mind that we’re trying to live in for the next crazy few days. Ah new house, how do we love you. Let us count the ways…
And for those who love to see our house tore up from the floor up, here’s how things are looking right this moment:
Oh and since a few people have been wondering, here’s what is conveying (staying) with the sale of our house:
- all the appliances both in the kitchen and the laundry nook
- the storage pieces and cabinetry in the basement
- the built-in wardrobes on either side of our bed & the bed frame itself
- the floating shelves in the dining room
- all hardwired light fixtures and the plug in swing-arm lamps in the bedroom (except for the chandy from Clara’s room, which we replaced with a standard light)
- all of the blinds, shades, curtain rods, and curtains in the house (except for the curtains in Clara’s room- I’m just too sentimental to walk away from those)
- a folder of manuals and house info along with all the exterior & interior paint (labeled by room)
We’re actually really happy to leave those things behind (they added up to a nice quick sale and an offer above our asking price). Now for another bulleted list (I’m on a roll here). These are a few packing things we’re doing that seem to work well for an obsessive type-a gal like me:
- John came up with the genius idea to use blue painters tape to mark boxes that are breakable so we can easily identify the ones that we should be extra careful with
- He also decided to put a piece of painters tape on the cabinets in the kitchen that aren’t empty yet (so we don’t keep opening all the doors to see which ones are done and which ones still have to be packed)
- We’re using a sharpie to write what’s in nearly every box (so if we have to find Clara’s bath stuff in a snap, we know where it is).
- Thanks to lots of recommendations, we hit up our local wine store for a few more boxes (they’re free, sturdy, and some even have handles).
- We’ve packed a “vacation stash” of clothes, toiletries, baby stuff, etc that we’ll rely on for the next few days here and the first few days at the new place (so there’s no rush to dig through boxes for the essentials).
- We also packed a “good to have around” box for the new house that we’re keeping in the car (with toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, cleaning supplies, cups for water, and a few other things we’re sure we’ll appreciate having right away for our friends & family members who are helping us move – and also for ourselves once they leave).
So far so good. Eye on the prize (aka: the new house). Eye on the prize…
Karen says
You guys are Amazingly organized even in moving-chaos! Holy-jealous-batman! Soo much fun to be moving into a new place – congrats!!
Maribel says
You two are awesome..very organized move. Well I’m on the road to living with less stuff, last week we had our yard sale. Didn’t do so well what ever was left I took to the Goodwill. My question is what baby stuff if any will you pack for any future babies. My little one is 2 1/2 and no sibling in the works…yet I have a huge container full of clothes another with blankets and other “stuff”.
fd says
thanks so much for the video of a blast from the past on a friday. just what i needed to get through the day :-) definite kudos to you sherry!
have a fabulous weekend moving. hope it goes to plan and is the ridiculously fun kind of exhausting.
Michelle says
I can’t believe you’re going to be able to fit the whole house into a moving truck!!! Now you can tell John that you didn’t really acquire that much at all, ha!
YoungHouseLove says
Except for all the ceramic aminals… haha. We’re shocked at how many boxes are marked “fragile.”
xo,
s
liz @ btb says
I can’t believe it’s really here. Goodbye first house! : /
::sniffle sniffle::
Kana says
I am impressed (that you’re 90% packed, super organized, and have already posted 2 entries today)!!
Will you take photos of your completely empty home and do a before (when you first moved in) and after (when you’re moving out) comparison??
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kana,
Yup, we plan to take empty pics of our current house (and maybe do a comparison if we have time) and of course we’ll share pics of our new house all empty and ready for us too.
xo,
s
beth@Just{Heart}It says
That’s funny, I just did a “thrift stores, how do I love you. Let me count the ways…” on my blog the other day. :-)
May I also suggest you have two or three large empty boxes just laying open somewhere to toss extraneous stuff into. Every time I move it seems there are always a ton of things that need a box, even though it seems like you’re done packing.
Do you have a “moving in” video all lined up? :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Good idea about a few extra empty boxes! And as for a moving in video, we don’t want to subject our dear friends and family to that kind of “documentation” but we’re planning to make a quick video walk-through for everyone once we’re all moved in and they leave. Wahoo!
xo,
s
Kimberly says
Is it just me or are you missing a couch? Did you sell one?
Good luck with the move! I know I hate lifting all those boxes and furniture!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kimberly,
Yup, we sold the tan slipcovered PB one on Craigslist earlier this week (we mentioned it in a p.s. a few days ago for any interested locals).
xo,
s
Ashley @ sunnysideshlee.com says
Question my dears!
So, now that your old house won’t be “yours” anymore…are you considering still keeping the images and stuff online and detailed since a new family will live there and may have safety concerns?
Just wondering …
It would suck to see all the awesome ideas from your “old” house go away.
-ashley ;)
YoungHouseLove says
We disclosed the fact that images of the house (as it looked with our furniture) would remain online to ensure that the new buyers were ok with it! We never share the address or even show pictures of the house number so that helps too.
xo,
s
annie says
I LOVE that you will be cleaning the oven and fridge… When we bought our house two years ago, not only were the oven and fridge NOT clean, but they had, shall we say, goo for use to take care of. This “goo” was found in various areas around the house as well. I gave them a pass as they had four kiddos, it was a quick turn around for them (we put in an offer within a week of them listing it) and the Mom was on her own as Dad had already moved to the new city. HOW-EVA … thank you for being so considerate for the new owners!! You guys (as usual) rock!
Erin says
I can’t believe how weird it is to see your house all boxed up. I’m oddly sentimental about it.
Good luck with the move. I hope all goes well with closing, etc.
We had a horror-story closing. The seller changed her mind. And freaked out. And tried to get out of it. We ended up moving our stuff into the basement while she was moving her stuff out the front door.
Kayla says
This is amazing. I’m loving seeing the packing process you guys have! Quick question….how do I get to see the first few blog posts you have? I’m dying to see where it started and how far you guys have come! Good luck this weekend!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kayla,
You can click the tab that says “archives” up by the search box on the right and click the oldest month listed to see where it all began (and click forward through things from there). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Mary says
Oh, you have just reminded me how much I hate moving! I guess if you are super organized (like you guys) and have great, positive attitudes (again, like you guys!) it won’t be so bad!! Keep your eye on the prize and you guys will be fine ;)
brandt @ New House on the Blog says
High five from me to you, Sherry. Continue busting out those long-forgotten 90’s gems, and you’ve got a reader for life. :-)
And you’ve got more things crossed out on your list than we do, so you guys get an “A” for the day.
Korinne Barry says
Eye on the prize is right! We just packed up our entire house, and unpacked it in the SAME day last week! We must be getting old! (we’re only 28) I was more stiff than I remember being after a summer off and going back to highschool volleyball practice!!!
Can’t wait to see the new digs and all the updates you do…been itching to tackle our house….but wanted to see some of your ideas first! :)
Janene @ One Run at a Time says
I won’t lie, I’m super excited for you guys, but these pictures make me just a smidge sad, too.
Here’s to fresh starts and new beginnings!
GreenInOC says
How ridiculous is it that I am all melancholy about your move?!
YoungHouseLove says
Maybe it’s more ridiculous that we’re not sad yet! I think we’re in total denial. Might hit us all at once on the last day though, but right now we’re just overwhelmingly excited to get into the new place. The quote of the day: let’s get this show on the road.
xo,
s
susan says
Your place looks great even when you are moving. Lucky people that bought your house. It truly is move in condition. Happy Moving susan
Rachel @ The Avid Appetite says
Love this roundup! Wish I had this in May when we moved :) Best of luck!
Barbara says
If this blogging thing doesn’t work out for you, I seriously think you could go into the supreme-organizers-of-the-universe realm – you’re amazing!!!
Super quick, I have to say I was reading quickly, and in my head, for just a second, I saw this:
“Thanks to lots of recommendations, we hit up our local wine store for a few more bottles.”
For a moment there, I was like, wow, they’re really having a moving party there, aren’t they….
But then a quick re-read not only made more sense, but also gave me a great tip for finding sturdy boxes that I’m currently in need of – yay! Once again, YHL to the rescue.
Nate Berkus potential spoiler alert – Did you see Nate with the dogs today??? How badly do you want to adopt Amy?! *dying here*
YoungHouseLove says
Nate Berkus + dogs = cute overload. Can’t wait to check it out!
xo,
s
Monica says
I can’t believe how quickly you guys got everything packed up and in boxes. The move is so close, I can’t imagine how excited you all are! Can’t wait to see the new place!
Andrea says
AHHH, I still can’t believe you’re moving and there will be a new YHL soon!!! You have to take pictures of the current house when everything is moved out and cleared out, it would be awesome to see a side by side empty house compared to how it look emptied when you first bought it. :) Pretty please!
Emily says
Loved all the titles this week. Good luck w the move.
PS baking soda is great for cleaning ovens. Just dump a bunch in there and scrub with a sponge and hot water. Repeat as necessary.
gemma@thesweetestdigs says
Nice work on the organization! Sounds like you`ve got everything covered.
Looking forward to the big reveal of the new digs and watching you guys tackle the reno`s.
Good luck with everything!
tammy says
Wow, I just got sentimental for you guys about the move! We’ve moved several times, so bittersweet to see everything ready to go.
Kate says
I wish I was moving into your place! When we moved into our current home it was a MESS! I’m talking…nail holes all over, kitchen cabinets that they must have spilled syrup all over, a DISGUSTING fridge. It took me two nights of cleaning to get the kitchen done. The bathroom was equally gross. I just can’t believe someone would have left it like that.
The new owners are blessed to have such a beautiful home to move into! I wouldn’t paint a thing! Congrats and best of luck on the move. I can’t wait to see what you have in store!
Jason says
I was/am(reading this) so stressed when it comes to moving. With my new place the settlement was not as big a deal because I wasn’t moving in yet, just starting the repairs, and I didn’t have another home to sell.
But why might you have a delay until Tuesday?
No fair to you guys if you do and let me say you doing this at the holidays is like I don’t know you deserve some sort of medal.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jason,
Since we have to wait for the payment from the people buying our house to clear and be transferred to the people we’re buying the next house from at the closing that’s scheduled four hours later in the afternoon, if for some reason there’s a delay with the bank, we might not get to close until Tuesday am. Sometimes they’re nice and still give you the keys if they see that the money is “pending” though so we’re crossing our fingers that it’ll work out either way. Feel free to cross yours for us too! There are just so many moving parts when you have to sell your home and buy the next one on the same day!
xo,
s
Kati at sohappyhome.com says
I would love to see one of your famous fast-motion videos of you guys loading the truck! I know it seems odd, but I think it would be both entertaining and educational… I think the art of packing the truck is something that deserves a special moment. Best of luck on your final 10%!
YoungHouseLove says
Love it! We actually did consider making some fast motion moving videos but we don’t want to embarrass or annoy the help (all of our amazing friends and relatives who are loading right along with us) so we figure we’ll snap some photos sans helpers from time to time and share those when we can instead!
xo,
s
Cait @ Hernando House says
You are, as always, impressively oragnized! Can’t wait to see the new place!
Trista says
I think it is amazing that you’re leaving that many items/appliances with the house. My husband and I are currently on the search for our first home. It would be great to find a house with so many things included. The thought of paying so much for a house and still having to shop for a refrigerator makes me nervous.
JenO says
Great tips for moving, especially the blue painters tape. Kudos to John. I’ll keep these in mind when we move from our current dream house.
Best of luck moving!
Cheryl Balmas says
Boohoohoo to Hooray Hooray Hooray…lovely memories at the old house and new memories to come in the new one. We have been in our ‘new’ house for nearly 18 years now and my kids still remember the ‘old’ house fondly. Of course, they were older than Clara when we moved. Our neighbor took a picture of the group of us on the front porch of our old house the day we moved and it is revered. That was our first house, too. I remember the first night sleeping in our new house was weird. Before I went to bed I sat in a rocking chair and just looked around. I was feeling a little melancholy (and tired!) that first night but when I woke up the next morning refreshed I was excited! And ready to hang shower curtains and ‘settle in’. Its so exciting starting something new and organizing your stuff in the new place and getting new things. I CAN’T WAIT to see pictures of the inside of your new place and follow this exciting journey with you! Happy moving! (And may I say your current place still looks fantastic even all tore up…lucky new owners!)
brigwork says
When we moved earlier this year, it was damp outside. Actually sprinkling a little while boxes and furniture were being moved in. I remember wishing I had a couple door mats and old towels around to keep our family and friends’ feet dry before they carried boxes throughout the house.
YoungHouseLove says
Such a good idea!!!! We’ll keep a few door mats in the car for that! Love it!
xo,
s
Larissa says
I’m getting nothing done at work because you guys have put me into bullet-pointed-list mode for getting the house baby ready.
Question: are you buying new appliances? Or are the previous owners conveying theirs? Or are you going to tell us about that later?
You get 5,000,000 points for the fun Friday 90’s reference. My elementary music students LOVE that song.
YoungHouseLove says
They’re actually conveying all of theirs to us since they’re moving to the mountains- which is great news for us! Of course down the line we plan to upgrade them (to newer more energy efficient models) but we’ll wait for a nice big sale before we pull the trigger…
xo,
s
jbhat says
I know it’s been a lot of hard work, but you guys have made moving look easy, tidy, and dare I say it, fun. And you mentioned in a comment reply that you haven’t been overly emotional about the departure yet. I think that’s the darn thing about life events. It seems like the details and deadlines sometimes detract from being able to enjoy/succumb to the drama.
jbhat
lifebeginsatthirtyright says
Not sure if you are doing this already, but a friend of mine bought a house and when she moved in, there was a little care package of toilet paper, a few rolls of paper towels, some hand soap or stuff like that. She said it was so nice to walk in and be able to use the bathroom without hunting.
I know you are taking that stuff with you, but in case the new owners aren’t as prepared, it would be nice!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we’ll leave some tp, paper towels, and a thing of hand soap behind for sure! Those are definitely things that wouldn’t be very nice to be without!
xo,
s
Ami @ beyondpeasandcarrots says
I am beyond excited to see the new house!
D says
Someone may have already asked this question…
Are the new owners readers of your blog?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey D,
As far as we know they’re not (they know about our blog because we disclosed it when they made an offer, but they had never read it before they laid eyes on our house). So maybe they’re new readers since we shared the addy – or maybe they just don’t care! Either way, we’re so thankful they’re buying our house. So if you’re reading this new owners: thanks!
xo,
s
Claire says
I’ve never seen this basement you speak of. Why does it never make it into your videos? I’m very interested! We don’t have basements in Ireland.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Claire,
It’s a separate entry basement so it doesn’t really make it into video tours very often, but here’s a post all about an in-depth renovation that we did a while back: https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/12/tackling-the-basement-done/
xoxo,
s
Lisa says
When we sold our townhouse in 2007, we left behind a bottle of champagne and a “Welcome Home” note for the new owners, in addition to a clean house and touched up paint like you.
We had a happy buyer and an easy closing/sale – I hope you do too! Best of luck on Monday that everything goes off without a hitch!
Roe says
a 90’s song…o yeah… but that made me think of the Madagascar movie, mabye cause I’ve seen it a 1000 times :)
Melissa says
The video clipped definitely “moved” me to post here today, thank you! :)
I live in DC with my fiance and we’re considering buying a home after we get married, but it feels like quite the Big Deal. Reading your blog is very encouraging.
A tip from a dear friend who just moved: When you first move in, put your purse, wallet, keys- the really important things (baby?)- in the bathtub until you have a set “important things” place.
Happy moving! Hope it’s not snowing yet.
samantha says
It’s probably too late for this tip, but my husband kept a master list of stuff when we packed/moved so we knew exactly what was in each box. So he numbered each box (100-series was kitchen, 200-series was living/family room, 300-series was kids’ room, etc), and then each box’s contents was spelled out on our list. Our move was a little more complicated (out of our house, in with my dad for a few months, and then our new house) so knowing what box was where (storage, my dad’s basement, my mom’s basement) and how to find stuff easily was crucial. I made fun of him at the time but the lists proved invaluable during those months of living out of boxes, and also while moving into the new house :-)
Your move looks WAY more organized that ours did – I’m so jealous! But I will say I get tired just reading your posts most of the time ;-)
Amanda says
I’m with Roe on this one! It so makes me think of the Madagascar movie everytime!
neena says
I know this is way off-topic, but I’ve looked and looked for your old post on baby items you found essential, and I can’t find it, any chance of dropping in a link? thank you!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Neena,
Here you go: https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/06/something-free-five-lifesavers/
xo,
s
dcfullest says
Don’t forget to keep a shower curtain handy,if your new house doesn’t have a shower door. I learned that lesson the hard way!
Jen says
Very strange but I am getting sentimental about your house too. :)
I hope everything goes smoothly for you with the closings and can’t wait to see the new house!
Kate says
Looking now at these pictures, I realize our living room couch is upholstered in the same fabric as your sleeper sofa that was in the guest room/office. Do you have any tricks for keeping it clean? I feel like the slightly irridescent fabric shows dirt/stains more than normal, and between a cat and a 2 year old our couch looks awful.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kate,
Hmm, so far we haven’t done much more than wipe it down with a wet cloth when there’s spit up or doggy paw prints. So far, so good! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Amanda@reno366 says
As I was reading, I couldn’t believe all the things you were leaving behind! But then I remembered back to the sale of our condo, and the buyer wanted the drapes and counter stools. At first I thought, no way. Then I realized the hundreds we were making, and could buy new things.
Allison says
Good work on your progress, I moved a year ago, it certainly can be a task!
Where did you get your tv stand? I’m looking for one right now and can’t find anything acceptable that isn’t going to break the bank!
Thanks
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Allison,
It’s from Target a while back. Hope it helps!
xo,
s